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| Palestinian protests to continue as Israel considers military options | Palestinian protests to continue as Israel considers military options |
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| The violence of the Gaza conflict has spread to the West Bank where two Palestinians have been killed and scores wounded in the biggest clashes with Israeli forces for several years. Protests are expected to resume on Friday afternoon. | The violence of the Gaza conflict has spread to the West Bank where two Palestinians have been killed and scores wounded in the biggest clashes with Israeli forces for several years. Protests are expected to resume on Friday afternoon. |
| Palestinian medics reported that Israeli gunfire had injured several hundred protesters, 120 of whom were being treated for gunshot wounds Thousands of Palestinians took part in a march from Ramallah towards East Jerusalem in response to a call from the Palestinian Authority for a "day of rage" over the bloodshed in Gaza, where the death toll has passed 800. | |
| Further protests in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were expected following midday prayers on Friday, the last Friday of Ramadan, as the Israeli security cabinet was due to review the latest ceasefire proposal from the US secretary of state, John Kerry. It was also to discuss the option of expanding its eight-day-old ground operation in Gaza. | Further protests in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were expected following midday prayers on Friday, the last Friday of Ramadan, as the Israeli security cabinet was due to review the latest ceasefire proposal from the US secretary of state, John Kerry. It was also to discuss the option of expanding its eight-day-old ground operation in Gaza. |
| More than 15 women, children and United Nations staff were killed and around 200 injured on Thursday morning when Israel shelled a UN school sheltering hundreds of Palestinians fleeing the violence. | |
| The Israel Defence Forces insisted it had given the occupants of the shelter time to leave before shelling the area. But the UN flatly contradicted this, saying it had made repeated attempts to negotiate a window of time during which people could safely leave the area but none had been granted. It said it had given the IDF precise co-ordinates of the location of the school. | |
| Israeli strikes continued on Friday morning. Israeli air force jets struck 30 homes in the Gaza Strip, killing a leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad and his two sons. Israeli ground troops and Hamas fighters were engaged in intense gun battles in the north and central stretches of the coastal enclave. | Israeli strikes continued on Friday morning. Israeli air force jets struck 30 homes in the Gaza Strip, killing a leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad and his two sons. Israeli ground troops and Hamas fighters were engaged in intense gun battles in the north and central stretches of the coastal enclave. |
| Rockets were fired out of Gaza into Israel, with sirens sounding across cities in the centre and south of the country, including Tel Aviv. Four of the missiles were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defence system. | Rockets were fired out of Gaza into Israel, with sirens sounding across cities in the centre and south of the country, including Tel Aviv. Four of the missiles were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defence system. |
| Reports emerged that Kerry had presented both sides with a new proposal for a cessation of violence. It centred around a week-long temporary ceasefire during which Israeli troops would be allowed to stay in Gaza to locate and destroy tunnels, and negotiations would be held for a permanent deal, with guarantees by the US, EU and UN that the primary concerns of each side would be addressed. | Reports emerged that Kerry had presented both sides with a new proposal for a cessation of violence. It centred around a week-long temporary ceasefire during which Israeli troops would be allowed to stay in Gaza to locate and destroy tunnels, and negotiations would be held for a permanent deal, with guarantees by the US, EU and UN that the primary concerns of each side would be addressed. |
| Kerry was said to be awaiting a response from Israel and Hamas before leaving Cairo to return to Washington later in the day. Israel's security cabinet was due to discuss the plan on Friday, while Hamas's leader-in-exile, Khaled Mishal, said a truce must include a guaranteed end to Israel's eight-year blockade of the Gaza Strip. "We want a ceasefire as soon as possible, that's parallel with the lifting of the siege of Gaza," he told the BBC. | Kerry was said to be awaiting a response from Israel and Hamas before leaving Cairo to return to Washington later in the day. Israel's security cabinet was due to discuss the plan on Friday, while Hamas's leader-in-exile, Khaled Mishal, said a truce must include a guaranteed end to Israel's eight-year blockade of the Gaza Strip. "We want a ceasefire as soon as possible, that's parallel with the lifting of the siege of Gaza," he told the BBC. |
| The attack on the school in Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, was one of the grimmest incidents of the conflict, which is now in its 18th day. More than 800 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed, as well as 34 Israelis and one Thai worker. | The attack on the school in Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, was one of the grimmest incidents of the conflict, which is now in its 18th day. More than 800 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed, as well as 34 Israelis and one Thai worker. |
| Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the UN, condemned the school attack, which came hours after the agency had warned that Israel's actions in Gaza could constitute war crimes. | Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the UN, condemned the school attack, which came hours after the agency had warned that Israel's actions in Gaza could constitute war crimes. |
| "Today's attack underscores the imperative for the killing to stop, and to stop now," Ban said. | "Today's attack underscores the imperative for the killing to stop, and to stop now," Ban said. |
| Valerie Amos, the UN's top humanitarian official, described the attack on the school as appalling. | Valerie Amos, the UN's top humanitarian official, described the attack on the school as appalling. |
| The school was hit while its playground was crowded with families waiting to be ferried to safety. According to survivors, one shell landed in the schoolyard followed by several more rounds that hit the upper storeys of the building. | The school was hit while its playground was crowded with families waiting to be ferried to safety. According to survivors, one shell landed in the schoolyard followed by several more rounds that hit the upper storeys of the building. |
| Most of the wounded were moved initially to a local hospital where a shell exploded about 50 metres away as terrified women and children waited for news of relatives. | Most of the wounded were moved initially to a local hospital where a shell exploded about 50 metres away as terrified women and children waited for news of relatives. |
| More than 140,000 Palestinians have sought shelter in UN premises during the conflict. Several schools run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, have come under fire in the last week. On Tuesday a school in Maghazi, central Gaza, which was sheltering about 1,000 people, was hit by Israeli shells as an UNRWA team inspected damage caused by an earlier strike. | More than 140,000 Palestinians have sought shelter in UN premises during the conflict. Several schools run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, have come under fire in the last week. On Tuesday a school in Maghazi, central Gaza, which was sheltering about 1,000 people, was hit by Israeli shells as an UNRWA team inspected damage caused by an earlier strike. |
| Thursday's strike occurred during a day of heavy fighting across the territory as Israel pressed ahead with its operation to halt rocket fire from Gaza and destroy a sophisticated network of cross-border tunnels. | Thursday's strike occurred during a day of heavy fighting across the territory as Israel pressed ahead with its operation to halt rocket fire from Gaza and destroy a sophisticated network of cross-border tunnels. |
| The Israeli military, which said it was "reviewing the incident", claimed it had occurred during heavy combat in the area and accused "terrorists" of "using civilian infrastructure and international symbols as human shields". | |
| In the West Bank clashes between the IDF and up to 10,000 people demonstrating against the Gaza offensive erupted in the volatile area around the massive Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah. | In the West Bank clashes between the IDF and up to 10,000 people demonstrating against the Gaza offensive erupted in the volatile area around the massive Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah. |
| The IDF said it used "riot dispersal means" – a term used to cover weapons such as rubber bullets and teargas – against protesters, who threw rocks and molotov cocktails at them and blocked a road with burning tyres. It did not say whether live rounds had been used. | The IDF said it used "riot dispersal means" – a term used to cover weapons such as rubber bullets and teargas – against protesters, who threw rocks and molotov cocktails at them and blocked a road with burning tyres. It did not say whether live rounds had been used. |
| According to Israel Radio the protest appeared to be the largest since the Palestinian second intifada, or uprising, which ended in 2005. | According to Israel Radio the protest appeared to be the largest since the Palestinian second intifada, or uprising, which ended in 2005. |
| Two other Palestinians have been killed in confrontations in the West Bank this week. On Thursday night police also clashed with Palestinian protesters around Jerusalem's Old City. | Two other Palestinians have been killed in confrontations in the West Bank this week. On Thursday night police also clashed with Palestinian protesters around Jerusalem's Old City. |